I don't know that the price of information is even a sensible concept. I do know that I have been in some classes and groups lately where someone asked a question and someone near a computer or tablet or smartphone had an answer to the question in less than 2 minutes. Of course, the questions have been specific: Did Andrew Jackson come before or after Benjamin Harrison in the line of presidents? How much is Microsoft Publisher?
Teachers often use a classification system known as Bloom's Taxonomy to consider questions and their answers. The system has 6 parts known as
knowledge - Andrew Jackson was president #7 and Benjamin Harrison was #23.
comprehension - This means that Jackson was earlier in the line of presidents.
application - Our country was newer when Jackson was the president.
analysis - I could look into the youth of the country when Jackson was chief and look for more maturity under Benjamin Harrison
synthesis - make up a chart comparing the two administrations
evaluation - How much does knowing whether Jackson was earlier or later matter? What good does knowing this do?
Around the world, there are many people who have never used a computer or searched for information using Google or any other of the 30,000 search engines. In some parts of the world, you could be in danger just looking for information. Right here in the US, looking up how to make a bomb or break the law could result in trouble.
Nevertheless, as people worldwide find out what they can do with smartphones and their relatives, more information, more comparisons, more inquiries are growing. I hope these developments will lead to a better, happier, richer lives and I rather think they will, in the long run. However, during that run, things may get a little rough, a little nasty and a bit confused. The only book I happen to know about the conceptual changes that seem to be occuring because information is getting easier to obtain at lower prices in much less time is the book by David Weinberger, a Harvard Law Library librarian. Its title alone is informative:
"Too Big to Know: Rethinking Knowledge Now that the Facts Are Not the Facts, Experts are Everywhere and the Smartest Person in the Room is the Room".
For just about any facts found somewhere on the internet, some other version of them can be found somewhere else. All sorts of people can assert that they are experts and can often produce credentials or demonstrations of their expertise. Rooms and software and hardware in them may produce results to a query, in multiple languages and with illustrations, complete with videos and music. It can be a confusing time.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
